Shannen Doherty's Doctor Gives Insight Into Final Moments Before Her Death: 'She Wasn't Ready to Leave'

As the world reels from the news that actress Shannen Doherty died after a long battle with cancer on July 13, her oncologist and close friend, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro , who was reportedly by her side when she passed, shared a bit about her final moments.

Piro spoke with People in the days since Doherty died, noting that the Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed star was always "a step above positive," and despite the cancer spreading to her bones in 2023, “We kept going until we couldn't go anymore."

"The last conversation that we had, she was in the process of realizing that things had taken a pretty significant turn," he went on. "The conversation was about love and support and caring and still fighting through. She wanted to continue to take treatment and fight through, even though her physical condition had taken a bit of a downturn. And so we did.”

Speaking specifically about the few hours before Doherty passed away, he explained that she was "in a place where she was very comfortable and sleeping and transitioning, and she was surrounded by some of her very close friends... that were giving her a lot of care and support. It was somber and sad, but beautiful and loving."

"The hardest thing about this was that she wasn't ready to leave because she loved life," Piro shared.

In the interview, Piro continually noted how positive Doherty remained throughout her entire cancer battle, always moving forward and willing to try something new if it meant more time.

He said, "She was an incredible warrior in everything she did... She fought so hard and she didn't believe that it would ever be over, which kind of makes everybody around you believe that, too, because you want to believe that.”

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, announcing her remission in 2017. Unfortunately, the cancer returned as Stage 4 a few years later, continuing to spread to her bones and brain.

Next: Shannen Doherty Said Cancer Was a "Big Wake-Up Call" in Last Social Media Post Before Her Death